Alcohol-based organogel as nanofluid medium

Abstract

An organogel including a base fluid, cetyl alcohol, and a gelling agent provided in an amount to cause the fluid to change from a liquid state to a gelled state at temperatures below at least 25° C. A nanofluid including an organogel and a nanoparticle component which permits the nanofluid to change from a liquid state to a gelled state at temperatures below at least 25° C., the gelled state helping to maintain the nanoparticle component suspended throughout the base fluid; and a method for preparing a gelled nanofluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An organogel comprising:
 a base fluid which is 2-hexyl-1-decanol or 2-n-octyl-1-dodecanol, 
 cetyl alcohol, and 
 a gelling agent provided in an amount to cause the fluid to change from a liquid state to a gelled state at temperatures below at least 25° C., 
 wherein the concentration of cetyl alcohol is 1% to 15% by weight based on the total weight of the organogel, 
 the concentration of the gelling agent is 0.1% to 2% by weight based on the total weight of the organogel, 
 the concentration of the base fluid in the organogel is 83% to 98.9% by weight based on the total weight of the organogel, and 
 the gelling agent is sodium oleate. 
 
     
     
       2. The organogel according to  claim 1 , wherein a higher concentration of cetyl alcohol allows gelling at a higher temperature. 
     
     
       3. A nanofluid comprising:
 the organogel according to  claim 1 , and 
 a nanoparticle component, 
 wherein the nanofluid is configured to change from a liquid state to a gelled state at temperatures below at least 25° C., the gelled state helping to maintain the nanoparticle component suspended throughout the base fluid. 
 
     
     
       4. The nanofluid according to  claim 3 , wherein the nanoparticle component is selected from the group consisting of molybdenum disulfide, nanodiamond, graphite, tungsten disulfide, hexagonal boron nitride, nanoparticles of materials with lamellar structure, and nanoparticles of soft metals, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       5. The nanofluid according to  claim 3 , wherein the nanoparticle concentration is from 0-15% by weight based on the weight of the nanofluid. 
     
     
       6. A method of preparing a gelling nanofluid, the method comprising the steps of:
 preparing an organogel containing a base fluid, cetyl alcohol, and a gelling agent, combining the organogel with a nanoparticle component, to form a gelling nanofluid; and 
 cooling the gelling nanofluid to a temperature of less than 25° C., which changes from a liquid state to a gelled state at temperatures below 25° C., the gelled state helping to maintain the nanoparticle component suspended throughout the base fluid, 
 wherein the concentration of cetyl alcohol in the organogel is 1% to 15% by weight based on the total weight of the organogel, 
 the concentration of the gelling agent in the organogel is 0.1% to 2% by weight based on the total weight of the organogel, 
 the concentration of the base fluid in the organogel is 83% to 98.9% by weight based on the total weight of the organogel, 
 the base fluid in the organogel is 2-hexyl-1-decanol or 2-n-octyl-1-dodecanol, and 
 the gelling agent is sodium oleate. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the nanoparticle component is selected from the group consisting of molybdenum disulfide, nanodiamond, graphite, tungsten disulfide, hexagonal boron nitride, nanoparticles of materials with lamellar structure, and nanoparticles of soft metals, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the nanoparticle concentration is from 0-15% by weight based on the weight of the nanofluid.